Shift
by Alyzia80
Summary: New techniques win wars, but used too rashly, can have devastating consequences. Time travel AU. I do not own Naruto.
1. Prelude - Obito

It was in the heat of the moment that it happened. It really wasn't his fault. Really.

Obito had always been an impulsive person, and the fact that he was now an eleven year old chunin in the midst of a war wasn't going to change that overnight.

So when his sensei brought back an unknown scroll to look over with Kushina and the team, he didn't think before shoving a third of his chakra into it.

The thing _glowed_ then _flashed_ and everyone was enveloped by a white light and he could distantly hear Kakashi yelling expletives and insults in his general direction. He grinned, then remembered the situation at hand.

He found himself alone, floating through a grayscale static before being unceremoniously dumped with the rest of Team Minato (plus one) on a training ground that was absolutely destroyed. He couldn't help but feel a tiny bit guilty.

On the other hand, though, the scroll did something, and he found himself elated at the thought of what actually just happened until he caught sight of a person who looked just like their sensei, and a person who looked just like his own teammate, but older.

An unbidden, boiling rage bubbled up his throat as he saw the teammate lookalike's face, and the scar that stretched over one eye and the scarlet that almost glowed beneath it.

Then, the rage died down into horror as he realized what this must mean, because if this was the future or something, he most certainly was not in it.


	2. Prelude - Kakashi

Kakashi thinks he hasn't been happy in a long time. Not since Obito...

After that had been many times where he would utter "I'm fine, sensei," or would wake up in a sweaty haze only to wash his hands of blood until they were raw and bleeding themselves, or throwing himself into S-ranked suicide missions with the dull hope of never coming back but never ( _never_ ) taking his father's way out.

But maybe, just maybe that's changing. He has his own genin charges now, and even though one has defected and the others have advanced beyond his belief under other teachers, they were all still _alive_ and he couldn't be more thankful for that.

So maybe he was happy. Maybe he wasn't cursed as he'd believed for so long.

But, of course, it seemed he was the universe's own personal plaything, because just as he and his two loyal students were about to have the Bell Test part two, _they_ had shown up. And being who he was, he'd thought that he might have just finally lost it, but everyone else could see them too.

And he was furious. How _dare_ they show themselves looking like this. But even so...

He was deeply surprised to find that there was the possibility these people may not be fakes, that his (Obito's) sharingan eye was not lying and the weak ability to at least see biju within their hosts was real. The Kushina fake (not fake, real _realreal_ ) had the Kyuubi inside her as his student did, standing not twenty feet away. He still doesn't trust they're actually there.

Their reactions to hearing of their current status in life (dead, deceased, all of them but him) was real, that was real sadness, real horror, real sympathy (real wariness) for him in their eyes as they looked into his, finding one coal black, one a swirling miasma of crimson and -

he didn't know if he could take it because he knew they'd be gone again someday, back to their own time.

But he'd enjoy this feeling while it lasted.


	3. Prelude - Rin

Chapter Text

Rin found herself speechless at the predicament she and her team, her boys (and sensei and his fiance) found themselves in.

Because there, right in front of her, was a man. A man she knew well (but not well) all grown up and sensible and a _jonin_ (she could tell).

She could also tell that this, for him, was new. She could see him getting angry, and if that eye was anything to go by, he had good reason.

She felt out of place as Minato-sensei faced off with the familiar stranger, even as Obito quietly tries to reassure her and she thinks that maybe this is a dream.

But when the older teammate tentatively confirms their identities and they are admitted to stay for the night too near the T&I department for comfort, she finds herself waking up. The realization that _this is real_ is almost too much, because where is she, why isn't she by Kakashi's side, and _why was he looking at her like she was the answer to life._

She found herself in a panic, and finally, finally.

She thought she understood.

That familiar stranger was hurt in a bad way.

Now all she wanted to do was help, like always. Help her boys.


	4. Prelude - Sakura

Sakura waited with a bated breath as the scene played out in front of her. She knew where she stood in life. She was not a leader, she would follow contentedly. She would not be the first to address these people who had fallen with a white light.

She would leave that to her sensei, or Naruto, both leaders by either experience or nature.

As was what she always did, she would fade into the shadows, become unnoticed so she could observe more efficiently.

She was not useless (not again, never again, she can't be). She'll perceive. She will see.

The first thing she sees is the blonde man. That Fourth Hokage himself. She is awed and amazed, yet annoyed at the same time. She doesn't know why. She doesn't try to understand her own feelings so she moves on.

She sees Naruto, and _oh. OH._

Everything connects in a way obvious information does when two pieces of a puzzle are put side by side, and suddenly she knows why Naruto was always so, so lonely.

She compartmentalizes the sad sense of guilt when she realizes that Naruto didn't even _know_.

Looking at her sensei now wasn't much better.

She finds herself suddenly with the knowledge that every single person who was ever a part of Team Seven, aside from her, had such a hard life, and she almost feels guilty that she was the exception and she _still had the nerve to feel sorry for herself_?

She swore then that she would be better.


	5. Prelude - Naruto

Let it be known that Naruto was not a complete idiot.

There was no other way he could have possibly made it this far. He has an innate understanding of the way things work and feelings such as loneliness and love. He's creative with battle strategy and traps because of this, and he's fine with it. He doesn't need to be any smarter, it's fine.

But the thing that truly escapes him is the concept of family. He knows love, but what if it was returned, unconditionally?

That's why when the strangers show up (and why does that one look like him so much, that's odd) and he notices that look in his sensei's eyes (and the looks being returned by some of those people) once sensei did whatever he did to confirm their identities, he's lost.

He wonders what it means, and he thinks he might be a little jealous. It looks nice.

He idly asks a question he doesn't quite register thinking about in the first place, and Kakashi-sensei turns to him, noticeably lighter, as if the weight of the world has been miraculously lifted, if only a little, and he sees the look, that feeling hadn't gone away. He sees his sensei answer with a fond exasperation, and he reminds himself 'I'm loved, too,' and he thinks that's enough.


	6. Prelude - Sasuke

Despite everything, Sasuke is aware he's hurt people. People he cares about, people who care about him. 

He knows he won't be able to (can't ever) completely justify that, but that's fine, he thinks. _I'll get what I want. Itachi will pay._

Reassuring himself in such a manner doesn't help. Not always.

He has a growing sense of guilt gnawing at his stomach and a voice in the back of his head telling him "They'll never forgive you. You'll never win. You won't be accepted back into their lives like nothing is wrong. You can't fit in anywhere."

Every now and again he acknowledges the voice, telling it to just fuck off, before he denies the existence of feelings and closes himself off again.

He was in the process of doing just that when Orochimaru shivers.

Suddenly, whatever had gotten to the rogue Sannin reached him, too.

Something was _wrong_. Whatever it is was almost tangible in the air, and it was just wrong. But it also felt... Right. Almost like a wound that never healed properly was torn open, but now was set to heal the right way this time. The momentary wrongness slowly dissipated until all he could feel was relief. Somewhere, people he cared about (people who cared about him) were sad, but he could tell that it would get better. As stuck as he was on trying to hate everything he had ever come into contact with, he thought whatever it was that's so strong he and Orochimaru could feel it, it was good.


	7. Prelude - Minato

Despite being transported to what seemed to be the future, Minato wasn't angry. He was, however, feeling a bit frustrated, possibly annoyed with Obito's insistent impulsiveness.

He could never really be angry at any of his kids.

However, it was really an interesting place where Obito had landed them this time.

The future of Konoha? Or was it an elaborate genjutsu the scroll conjured upon activation? The people here seemed wary of them, and he could tell Obito and Rin were happy to believe the time travel explanation, but real life wasn't as simple or complex as that.

So, in return, Minato would trust but not-quite believe these people. This older Kakashi, whose body language spoke of horrors he'd endured, or the mini-Minato, who despite looking only a few years younger than himself, spared no recognition (though the voice in the back of his mind whispered _Protect, keep him safe._ )

He'll play along until he could get everyone home.


	8. Prelude - Kushina

Chapter Text

A strange phenomenon was occuring at the moment, and it wasn't whatever had happened with the scroll, though that ranked pretty high on the strange things list. Kushina was speechless.

Those who knew her knew how rare this was, and when they say that it might be an improvement, she would affectionately bash their head in, but this. She really was at a loss for words.

However, it seemed that they were really there (in the future?) and she knew where Minato's thoughts were taking him. She, however, wasn't so sure this was faked.

She had the amount of skepticism as one would expect for a tokubetsu jonin of her caliber, but even she could tell that emotion on some of the future people's faces were not conjured from chakra. They couldn't be.

Kushina knew she wasn't the smartest person, but with stuff like this, she found she was much more perceptive than her fiance.

You didn't need to be a genius to know what you needed to see.


	9. Prelude - Tsunade

Tsunade wanted tomorrow off. And maybe the next week. Actually, make that her entire life. She wanted to retire and drink herself stupid, but the Akatsuki were becoming a much bigger threat, so she would probably wait until that blows over so she could push Hokage-ship onto Kakashi or someone and finally catch a break.

Because this. This was not fair. Not even close to it.

But here they were, five people from the goddamn past coming back, probably just to spite her. Not to mention the fact that four of these five were dead, and the one leftover was a miniaturized version of one of her best shinobi.

Registering the tense atmosphere as she's asked what the hell they were supposed to do now, but in much kinder words, she admits the five to stay by the T&I department (because she doesn't quite know if she can trust Kakashi's judgement this time, considering who they are) until further notice.

 _ _ ** **Sometimes,****__ ** **she thinks,**** _ _ ** **life just really, really sucks.****__


End file.
